Drug abuse is one of the known substance use disorders that can cause long- and short-term negative health effects. These effects can be mild, moderate, or chronic. When drugs are abused, one of the effects is changes in coordination.
The individual will discover that it is challenging to reconcile the connection between the brain and other parts of the body. This means that what the brain wants to achieve, will not reflect in other areas of the body.
Another effect is the increase in blood pressure and changes in heart rate. This can lead to mental health problems like anxiety, PTSD, etc.
Some other effects of drug abuse are changes in the appearance of an individual’s body, insomnia or somnolence, weight changes, loss of appetite, etc. When it comes to combatting the effects of drug abuse, pharmacies have a big role to play.
The first step is usually to educate people about what they stand to lose in the long run if they continue to abuse drugs. When people realize that it can cause some unpleasant changes in their bodies that they cannot see, they might be motivated to stop drug abuse and seek help.
Additionally, pharmacy consultants are expected to partner with other health professionals like counselors, therapists, etc to help individuals who abuse drugs.
Most pharmacists are usually exposed to people suffering from substance abuse disorder, and when there is a strong partnership in place, it would be easy to provide the individual with necessary help.
Also, pharmacists are in the best position to collate important information about the individual so that they can conduct a screen for chemical dependence. This will help them determine the level to which the individual has abused drugs.
After collecting this data, they can present it to the therapist or the counselor and proffer the next step of the solution. Pharmacy consultants are also responsible for counseling the families of individuals who abuse drugs.